1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a control apparatus therefor, a control method therefor and a control program for causing a computer to carry out the control method, and, in particular, to an information processing apparatus, a control apparatus therefor, a control method therefor and a control program for causing a computer to carry out the control method, for avoiding a situation that regular operation is obstructed, even when a trouble occurs in hardware in the information processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, for a computer called a mainframe which is an information processing apparatus for carrying out information processing concerning ATM (i.e., automated-teller machines) of a bank or such, a situation that operation is interrupted should be avoided in view of the nature of the application field.
In such a kind of an information processing apparatus, during regular operation, when a trouble occurs in such a hardware component which is operated only during power supply starting processing, i.e., during system initializing processing and hardware diagnosis processing carried out therein, the trouble in the hardware component cannot be detected until the power supply starting is carried out. Specifically, for example, the trouble in the hardware component is detected when the information processing apparatus is once shutdown in a case where the operation of the information processing apparatus is stopped at the end or the year, and after that, the information processing apparatus is started up again at the beginning of the next year. In this case, the trouble in the hardware component is detected immediately before the beginning of the operation at the beginning of the year. Ordinarily, actual timing of starting of the power supply starting processing in the information processing apparatus is determined from the officially scheduled operation starting time in consideration of a time required for the system initializing processing. Therefore, when the trouble in the hardware component is detected during the power supply starting processing, and also, when a recovery from the trouble requires replacement of some defective components and thus requires a corresponding time, a problematic situation may occur. That is, the operation starting may not be achieved up to the above-mentioned officially scheduled operation starting time, or, in the worst case, system down may occur after the starting up of the system.
FIGS. 1 and 2 show an operation flow chart for illustrating the system initializing processing carried out when the power supply in the information processing apparatus is started, in the related art.
In FIG. 1, when power supply in the information processing apparatus is started in Step S1, the system initializing processing is carried out according to a predetermined procedure automatically in Step S2. When the system initializing processing is properly finished, the power sully starting processing is completed (Step S3).
After that, the OS (operating system) of the information processing apparatus, IPL (initial program loader) and so forth are stated up, and thus, operation of the information processing apparatus is started (Step S4).
Then, when the operation of the information processing apparatus is halted during a predetermined down period such as the end of the year or such, the OS and so forth are stopped (Step S5), predetermined power supply cutting-off processing is started (Step S6), and the operation of the information processing apparatus is terminated accordingly (Step S7).
Then, after an elapse of the down period, and thus, operation of the information processing apparatus is started again, the power supply starting processing is carried out (Step S11). Then, the same as the above, the system initializing processing is carried out (Step S12). Then, when the system initializing processing is properly finished (Yes in Step S13), the regular operation of the information processing apparatus is started (Step S14).
However, when a trouble is detected in the hardware during predetermined system diagnosis processing in the system initializing processing (No in Step S13), reporting to a CE (customer engineer) of a remote monitoring center is made (Step S15) for solving the problem. Further, in response to the detection of the hardware trouble, the power supply cutting-off processing is carried out in the information processing apparatus (Step S16).
When the reporting to the remote monitoring center is made in Step S15, the CE makes an appropriate arrangement to obtain necessary components for replacement (Step S17 of FIG. 2), and actually, a work of the replacement of the components is carried out (Step S18).
After that, the power supply starting processing in the information processing apparatus is carried out again, and operation of the information processing apparatus is started through the Steps S11 through S14 (Step S20).
It is assumed that the time at which the system operation is terminated after the power supply cutting-off processing is 23 o'clock night, and the officially scheduled time of system operation starting in the next day is 8 o'clock morning. In this case, the power supply starting processing is started at 6 o'clock morning, for example, for positively achieving the above-mentioned starting of operation of 8 o'clock morning.
Then, when the hardware trouble is detected during the system initializing processing (Step S12) in the power supply starting processing, and a time is required for making the arrangement to obtain necessary replacement components for solving the problem (Step S17) requires a considerable time, starting of the regular operation of the system may not be achieved at the officially scheduled time, i.e., at 8 o'clock morning. As a result, actually, starting of the regular operation may be problematically delayed for 4 hours, for example, to 12 o'clock morning. Thus, according to the related art, it may be difficult to effectively reduce the system stop period.
Especially, some cases, an information processing apparatus used in a bank, for example, should be basically operated continuously during 24 hours, and the system operation can be stopped only several days or several hours at the end of the year through the beginning of the next year. In such a case, the time of starting the system operation after the system shutdown is strictly managed. Further, for a case where the system shutdown is available only once a year, for example, the power supply starting processing is actually carried out only once a year. In such a case, there are very few chances to actually detect such a trouble, which can be found out only during the system initializing processing. Therefore, when the operation starting time after the system shutdown is delayed as mentioned above, a problem, such as a stop of the function of the ATM in the bank, may occur.
Below, examples of troubles of hardware components which operate only during the system initializing processing in the power supply starting processing will be listed, in relation with corresponding error events unique to the power supply starting processing:
1) hardware operation mode register trouble: due to a failure in a register which is used to set a hardware operating mode;
2) clock tuning trouble: due to a failure in an EEPROM (electrical erasable and programmable ROM) for holding tuning data (phase adjusting data);
3) microprogram/setting file/clock tuning file storage medium trouble: due to a failure in a hard disk drive of an SVP (service processor)
The SVP means a control apparatus which is a special possessor having a function to monitor states and operation of an information processing apparatus, by means of a second CPU provided separately from a first CPU which carries out a basic function of the information processing apparatus. The SVP is provided especially for such an information processing apparatus as a mainframe or such which takes a relatively important role, to guarantee continuous operation of the information processing apparatus.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2001-142839 discloses an art which relates to the present invention.